Logan Gilbert pitched seven scoreless innings and struck out a career-high 12 as the Seattle Mariners topped the visiting San Diego Padres 2-0 Tuesday night in the opener of a two-game interleague series.
Dylan Moore scored a run and drove in the other for the Mariners, who won their sixth in a row and for the 11th time in their past 13 games to pull within two games of Toronto in the chase for the American League’s third and final wild-card berth.
The Padres lost their third consecutive game.
The only hit Gilbert (10-5) allowed was a one-out infield single by Xander Bogaerts in the second inning. Second baseman Moore ranged to the left of second base for the slow roller, but it went off the heel of his glove. The right-handed Gilbert didn’t walk a batter.
Mariners reliever Matt Brash gave up a one-out double to Jake Cronenworth in the eighth. Closer Andres Munoz allowed a leadoff single to Ha-Seong Kim in the ninth before resting the next three batters for his sixth save of the season.
The Mariners opened the scoring in an unusual fashion in the fifth inning. With one out, Moore drew a walk off Padres reliever Scott Barlow (2-5). San Diego manager Bob Melvin turned to lefty Ray Kerr to face J.P. Crawford, who grounded a single into right field. Julio Rodriguez lined a single to left to load the bases.
Kerr struck out Eugenio Suarez for the second out but was called for a pitch-clock violation by home-plate umpire Doug Eddings on a 3-1 count to Cal Raleigh. Moore trotted home on the base on balls. Kerr got Teoscar Hernandez to ground out to first to end the inning.
The Mariners tacked on a run with a two-out rally in the sixth. Tom Murphy grounded a single to center and Moore followed with a triple to deep center that went off the glove of outfielder Trent Grisham as he tried to make an over-the-shoulder catch before running into the wall.
Padres starter Nick Martinez, still building up his arm after spending most of the season in the bullpen, pitched three scoreless innings. The right-hander allowed four hits, walked one and fanned one.
–Field Level Media
